Rail brace



June 5, 1923.

D. B. MOLAIN ET AL RAIL BRACE Filed Dec. so, 1921 iatented June 5, 1923.

1&57586 barren stares earner berr es} DAN B. MGLAIN AND ELBERT M. TATUM, OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS, ASSIGNOR-S OE ONE-THIRD TO JESSE A. -MILAM, OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.

RAIL BRACE.

Application filed December 30, 1921. Serial No. 525,970.

To all 207mm it may concern.

Be it known that we. DAN B. MCLAIN and ELBERT M. TATUM, citizens of the United States, and residents of Little Rock, in the county of Pulaski and State of Arkansas have invented new and Improved Rail Braces; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full description of the same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in rail braces and it is an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved device of this general character which when in applied position serves to prevent the rails from spreading and thereby materially reducing the possibility of accidents due to such spreading of rails.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of our improved rail brace whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of our invention will hereinafter be definitely claimed.

In order that our invention may be the better understood, we will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of a track illustrating braces constructed in accordance with an embodiment of our invention in applied position;

Figure 2 is a view partly in transverse sectional view taken through the structure illustrated in Figure 1 with one of the braces in elevation;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of one of the members comprised in the braces;

Figure 4 is a view in top plan of the member illustrated in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 but illustrating a brace constructed in accordance with another embodiment of our invention;

Figure 6 is a view in top plan of one of the members as disclosed in Figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view in perspective of one of the members as disclosed in Figure 2 In the form of invention as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 our improved brace bar comprises the members A of substantially duplicate construction.

Each of the members A is provided at its outer end with an upstanding undercut flange 1 which is adapted to snugly receive and engage the outerbase flange of a rail while the opposite end portion of the member is provided with the flange 2 to snugly engage the inner base flange of the second rail as is believed to be clearly illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings.

Each of the members A adjacent the flange 1' has apillow or surface 3 which has close contact with a rail from below, said portion 3 being of a length substantially the same as the width of the base of the rail. The member A adjacent the portion 3 is cut out from above as at 4, said cut-out portion extending a material distance inwardly of the member. The opposite end portion of the member A is cut out from below as at 5, said portion 5 also extending a material distance inwardly of the member A. The cut-out portions 4: and 5 are substantially equal in depth and height, respectively to one-half of the height of the member A. The cut-out portions 4: and 5 "terminate outwardly of the center portion of the member Awhereby the central portion 6 of the'member A is of full height. This central portion 6, as clearly illustrated in Figure 4 is only of a width equal to substantially one-half the width of the opposite end portions of the member A.

The cut-out portion 4: provides the member A with a lower arm 7 while the cut-out portion 5 provides the portion A with an upper arm 8.

Vhen the two members A comprised in the bar are in assembled or Working position they are in reverse relation with the inner or opposed faces of the center portion 6 substantially in contact and with the upper arms 8 extending within the cut-out portions 4 and the lower arms 7 going in the cut-out portions By this means the assembled sections are effectively locked in working relation and in a manner whereby the flanges 1 and 2 have proper engagement with the base flanges of the rails.

lVith the members A of the bar in assembled or applied position the clamping medium 9 is disposed transversely through the adjacent portions 6, said medium being preferably a removable bolt having associ-.

ated therewith in a conventional manner a holding nut. Disposed through the outer portions of the overlapping arms 7 and 8 at points inwardly of but in close proximity to the flanges 2 are the clamping mediums 10, said mediums being herein disclosed as bolts extending upwardly through said arms with locking or holding nuts engaged with the upper portions of the bolts and engaging the arms 8 from above.

In the embodiment of the invention as particularly illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 it is to be noted that the members B of the brace bar are of greater vertical dimensions than the members A hereinbefore described and it is to be further noted that the cut-out portions 4 and 5 have their longitudinal or horizontal faces substantially coplanar with the portion of each of the members B upon which the rail directly contacts. It is also to be noted that the upper and lower faces of the members B are gradually reduced in height from their opposite end portions toward the center in order to lighten the structure. Other than this the structure of the members A as disclosed in Figures 5 and 6 is substantially the same as hereinbefore set forth relative to the first embodiment of our invention.

Our improved brace bar when applied serves eifectively to prevent the rails from spreading and may be employed with equal advantage in connection with a straight way of track or at curves or in connection with switches. Our improved brace bar can also be readily applied or removed but when in working position performs the desired function with a maximum of efiiciency.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a rail brace constructed in accordance with our invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that our invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason we do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out our invention in practice eX- cept as hereinafter claimed.

' We claim:

A brace bar for rails of a trackway comprising two members, one end portion of each of the members being provided with means to engage the outer base flange of a rail the opposite end portion of the member being provided with means to engage the inner base flange of a rail, one end portion of each of said members being cut out from below and entirely thereacross, the opposite end portion being cut out from above and entirely thereacross, the intermediate portion of each member between said cut-out portions being of a width less than the width of the members, said members when assembled being in reverse relation, and means for holding the members in assembled relation.

D. B. MCLAIN. E. M. TATUM. WVitnesses:

C. L. UPsoN, G. S. CovERTz. 

